Display



1965 c. c. GOODMAN ETAL 3,220,129

DISPLAY Filed Jan. 16, 1965 INVENTORS. mm! (3 Mam/41V 3,22,12fi Patented Nov. 30, 1965 Free 3,220,129 DISPLAY Carol C. Goodman, Skokie, and Valentine A. Boss, Riven side, 111., assignors to Chicago Display Company, Melrose Park, IlL, a corporation of Illinois Filed Jan. 16, 1963, Ser. No. 251,775 1 Claim. (Cl. 441-128) This invention relates to a display support for advertising materials, such as notices and the like, and more particularly to a device for supporting overhead and eye-level advertising materials in a merchandising store, such as a super-market and the like.

It is common in retail and wholesale stores to display overhead and/or eye-level placards, posters and other advertising materials for the purpose of directing the consumers attention to specific merchandise, sea sonal sales, and the like.

In numerous instances the advertising material is displayed above the aisles between the shelving by hanging the advertising material from the ceiling of the store or by other techniques.

One of the most recent devices employed for supporting advertising material above an aisle between the shelving includes two solid, rod-like arms of fixed lengths, one end of each arm being connected to suitable brackets secured to the shelving on opposite sides of the aisle. These arms are connected to form an arch by a solid, rod-like intermediate connecting member. The advertising material is secured to the arch by suitable means, such as staples and the like. To make the arch for-med by this display device higher or lower with respect to the floor of the aisle, a longer or shorter intermediate connecting member, respectively, is employed. Similarly, for aisles of different widths an intermediate connecting member of suitable length is selected to give the proper height of the arch. Thus, this display device requires a plurality of intermediate connecting members of varied lengths if the height of the arch is to be adjustable or the device is to be used for aisles having different widths. This, of course, is undesirable as it is a time consuming delay in such instances to change the intermediate connecting member to adjust the length of the arch. Furthermore, the necessity of a plurality of connecting members increases the cost of the display support.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device suitable for supporting advertising materials, said device being adapted to easily adjust the height of the advertising material carried thereon.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a display support adapted to form an arch which may be readily varied in length and height as desired, said arch being adapted to support advertising material.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a display support for spanning an aisle, said display support being adapted to support advertising material and being adapted to readily adjust the height of the advertising material as desired.

The invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, taken with further objects and advantages thereof, will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a display support embodying the features of the present invention with an advertising poster attached thereto, said display support being illustrated in phantom in another height and having a different width;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged perspective fragmentary view of the display support shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of the display support of FIGURE 1 taken along line 3-3 of FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a modified display support for advertising material and the like embodying the features of the present invention; and

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view of the modified display support of FIGURE 4 taken along line 55 of FIGURE 4.

Referring to FIGURE 1, a display support embodying the features of the present invention is indicated generally by reference numeral 10. As seen in FIG- URE l, the display support 10 is adapted to be connected to shelving 12 on opposite sides of an aisle and to extend upwardly to form an arch to which an advertising poster 14 or other advertising material may be attached. In accordance with the present invention, the dsiplay device 10 is suitable to span aisles of varied width and, furthermore, is adapted to adjust the height of the advertising poster 14 to the desired height above the floor of the aisle, as will be more apparent hereinafter. Illustrated in phantom lines in FIGURE 1 is the display support 10 when there is a wider aisle but the poster 14 is to be maintained at the same height, and when the aisle has the same Width but the poster 14 is lowered.

As shown in FIGURE -1, the display support 10 includes two adjustable arms, indicated generally by reference numerals 16 and 18, and an intermediate connecting member 20. One end of each of the adjustable arms 16 and 18 is pivotally connected to brackets 22, which are secured in a manner more apparent hereinafter to the shelving 12 on opposite sides of the aisle. The other end of each of the adjustable arms 16 and 18 is adapted to receive an end of the intermediate connecting member 20 to form an arch to which the advertising poster 14 is suitably attached by staples, wire or the like.

As shown in FIGURES 1-3 each adjustable arm 16 and 18 includes a first member 24 and a second member 26 which are connected to one another. One end of the first member 24 is pivotally attached to the bracket 22 and the other end has a loop 28 which extends around the second member 26. One end of the second member 26 has a loop 30 which extends around the first member 24 and the other end has a tubular section 32 attached thereto which is adapted to receive an end of the intermediate connecting rod 20. In this instance, the first and second members 24 and 26, respectively, are made of steel rod, but it will be understood that other metals and plastics may be employed, depending upon the weight of the advertising material to be supported by the display support 10. The .particular material employed however, should allow the members 24 and 26 to bend and thereby form the curved arch, but should have sufficient strength to prevent non-elastic deformation of the first and second members 24 and 26 as they support the advertising poster 14 or other advertising material. Furthermore, it will be understood that the members 24 and 26 may be made of tubular material.

By virtue of the loops 28 and 36, the first and sec- [and members 24 and 26 are slidably connected to one another so that the overall length of the adjustable arms 16 and 18 may be increased or decreased by moving the second member 26 relative to the first member 24. Once the desired length of the arms 16 and 18 has been obtained by movement of the second member 26 with respect to the first member 24, a locking means 34 on the second member 26 is moved until it is in abutting relationship with the loop 28 of the first member 24.

The locking means 34 is a rubber washer, in this in stance, mounted on the second member 26. There is sufiicient frictional engagement between the rubber washer 34 and the second member 26 so that once the rubber washer 34 abuts the loop 28 of the first member 24 the length of the arm 16 and/or the arm 18 will not be decreased by virtue of the force exerted on the second member 26 while the display support is supporting advertising material. However, the frictional engagement between the rubber washer 34 and the second member 26 does not preclude the washer 34 from being moved by hand to lock the arms 16 and 18 or to allow the arms 16 and 18 to be lengthened.

It will be understood that the washer 34 may be on the first member 24 below the loop 30 of the second member and that more than one washer 34 may be employed. Furthermore, it will be understood that the locking means 34 may be made of plastic or other suitable material without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Similarly, a nut or nuts threadedly engaging the first or second members 24 and 26, respectively, may be employed, but are not as desirable as the washers 34 since adjustment time is lengthened.

On the free end of the second member 26 is a tubular section 32 suitably secured thereto by welding or the like. The tubular section 32 is adapted to receive an end of the intermediate connecting member 20 and to these ends has an internal diameter large enough to snugly receive an end of the intermediate connecting member 20. In this instance, the intermediate connecting member 20 is made of steel rod, but it will be understood that other metals and plastics may be employed, depending upon the weight of the advertising material to be supported by the display support 10. The particular material employed, however, should allow the member 20 to bend to form the curved arch and should be of sufiicient strength to prevent nonelastic deformation of the connecting member 20. Furthermore, it will be understood that the connecting member 20 may be made of tubular material.

It will therefore be understood that if it is desired to raise the advertising poster 14 this may be readily accomplished by increasing the length of the arms 16 and/or 13 by moving the second members 26 upwardly with respect to the first members 24.

The arms 16 and 18 are prevented from decreasing in length by moving the locking means downwardly until they abut the loops 28 of the first members 24. In this manner the predetermined length of the arms 16 and 18 is maintained. Likewise, if the poster 14 is to be lowered the second members 26 are moved downwardly with respect to the first member 24 until the desired length has been obtained and then the locking means 34 are moved until they abut the loops 28. In this manner the height of the arch formed by the display support 10 may be readily varied while employing a single intermediate connecting rod 20 of a fixed, predetermined length. Similarly, the display support 10 is thus adapted to be used to span aisles of different widths.

In this instance the bracket 22 to which the first members 24 of the arms 16 and 18 are pivotally connected is attached to metallic strips 36 which may also be used to hold small plastic price tags for the merchandise placed on the shelves 12 and are well known in the art. The metallic strip 36 has opposing notches 38 and 40 therein into which extend outwardly flaring ends of a U-shaped member 42 of the bracket 22. The U-shaped bracket 42 is fixedly secured to the metallic strip 36 by a nut 44 which forces the ends of the U-shaped bracket 42 apart and into forced engagement within grooves 38 and 40. The bracket 42 has clamp members 46 secured thereto which engage an end of the first member 24 whereby the member 24 is pivotally secured to the bracket 42.

The member 24 has a triangular-shaped end 25 in the form of an isosceles triangle, the base of which is held by the clamps 46, In this manner the arms 16 and 18 are prevented from tipping so that a stable arch is provided from which the advertising poster 14 or other advertising material may be hung or attached.

It will be understood that there are a myriad of means by which the free end of the first member 24 of the adjustable arms 16 and 18 may be secured to the shelving 12 or to other means as desired and that the bracket 22 is merely illustrative of one means by which this may be achieved.

FIGURES 4 and 5 illustrate a modified display support 50 embodying the features of the present invention. The display support 50, as the display support 10 discussed hereinbefore, is adapted to be suitable for aisles of (litterent widths and to provide an arch of adjustable height without substituting connecting members, as seen in the phantom illustrations of FIGURE 4. The display support 50 includes two adjustable arms 52 and 54 each of which have one end secured to a suitable bracket, such as the bracket 22 described hereinbefore, or other suitable means. The brackets are attached to the shelving 12 on opposite sides of the aisle. The arms 52 and 54 include a rigid first member 56, one end of which is attached to the bracket 22 and the other end of which telescopically enters into an end of a tubular, rigid second member 58. The other end of the second member 58 is adapted to telescopically receive an intermediate connecting member 69. In this instance the rigid second members 58 have right-angle bends, but it will be understood that they may have other angular forms depending upon the particular use to which the display device 50 is to be employed. When the second members 58 have right-angle bends, it will be understood that the intermediate connecting member 60 may be a rigid, non-bending member made of metal or plastic rod or tubular material.

The first members 56 have locking means 62 thereon, which are the same as the washers 34 described hereinbefore. In this instance when it is desired to raise the arch formed by the display support 50, the second members 58 and the locking means 62 are moved upwardly until the desired height is obtained. The second members 58 then rest on the locking means 62, which prevents the second member 58 from moving downwardly on the first member 56. Likewise, if the arch is to be lowered the locking means 62 is moved downwardly on the first members 56, which allows the second members 58 to likewise move downwardly until they abut the washer 62.

Since the ends of the intermediate connecting rod 60' are telescopically received by the other ends of the second members 58, the display support 50 is adapted to be used on aisles having different widths. The ends of the members 56 attached to the brackets 22 may be similar to those of members 24 discussed hereinbefore.

It will be understood that the members 56, 58 and 66' may all be tubular members and that it is a matter of choice whether member 58 extends into member 52 or vice versa and whether member 60 extends into member 58 or vice versa. Whether the locking means 62 is on the first member 56 or the second member 58 will, of course, depend upon which member extends into the other member.

Furthermore, it will be understood that if the second members 58 have bends less than that the intermediate connecting member 60 should be flexible in the manner of the connecting member 26 discussed hereinbefore and that locking means 62 or the like would be associated with the connecting member 60 and/ or the second members 58 to prevent relative movement between these members after the display support 50 had been adjusted to its desired position.

With respect to the display supports 10 and 50 it will be understood that they may be employed to form arches over a plurality of aisles or over the shelving itself and that they may be supported by any suitable means and are not limited to being attached to shelving. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that the advertising material may be attached by suitable means to any part of the arch formed by these display supports and thus these supports are suitable for eye-level displays and the like.

With respect to the display support 10, further versatility may be afforded by having the connecting member 20 and the second members 26 telescopically engage. If necessary suitable locking means 34 may be provided on the second members 26 or the connecting member 20 depending upon which member extends into the other.

While the embodiments described herein are at present considered to be preferred, it will be understood that various modifications and improvements may be made therein and it is intended to cover in the appended claim all such modifications and improvements as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is desired to be claimed and secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

An advertising display support comprising first and second arm means, each of said arm means being pivotally connected to support means, the other end of each of said arm means being connected to an intermediate connecting member, each of said first and second arm means including a first and second member, said first and second members being connected to one another and being movable relative to one another to vary the length of said arm means, said first member having one end pivotally connected to said support means so that said first member may pivot about a horizontal axis, said first member having a loop at its other end through which said second member extends, said second member having a loop on one end through which said first member extends, said second member having a tubular section attached to its other end which is adapted to receive said intermediate connecting member, and means associated with each of said first and second arm means to prevent relative movement of said first and second members after said first and second members have been given a predetermined position with re spect to one another, said means for preventing relative movement of said first and second members comprising an annular member which is mounted upon and frictionally engages said first member or said second member and abuts the loop of the other member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 216,282 6/1879 McHenry 248414 974,702 11/1910 OWens 248285 1,249,716 12/1917 Calder 248287 1,313,240 8/1919 Adams 12912 2,072,898 3/1937 Martin 287103 2,885,090 5/1959 Forman 211175 3,005,278 10/1961 Johnston --128 3,015,177 1/1962 Hembd 4010 3,119,588 1/1964 Keats 40125 X JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner. 

